1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for displaying information and an information recording medium having information display means, for displaying such as characters and images on a display unit in which they are supplied through a communication network.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been proposed an information display apparatus having a screen saver function incorporated in a display unit used for a personal computer and the like. The screen saver is a function for displaying a screen saver image containing patterns of various periodically variations for purpose of preventing the characters and images from burning image that interrupts the display on the screen. Such burning image is caused by displaying characters or images on the screen of display unit for long hours in the case where a predetermined operation such as a specific key-in operation is not performed. Accordingly, the screen saver images are used for preventing the screen from the burning image, which has not dealt with specifically so far.
Japanese Patent Laid-open Gazette 8-305648 discloses an information displaying apparatus having a function for storing information such as characters and images received through a communication network and in turn displaying it on a display unit. It is used for not only preventing the burning image, but also displaying useful information on the display unit with use of a time during operation of a screen saver function. FIG. 8 is an electrical block diagram showing an information displaying apparatus which substantially includes an information receiving unit 1, an information storing unit 2, an information display control unit 3, displaying unit 4 and a user profile storing unit 5.
Such apparatus operates as follows. The information receiving unit 1 refers to user information stored in the user profile storing unit 5 and receives information such as characters and images of interest for a user through a communication network, and thereafter stores the information into the information storing unit 2. The information display control unit 3, in turn, reads out the information stored in the information storing unit 2 and displays it on the display unit 4 in the case where the screen saver function is being operated in the information displaying apparatus.
According to such constitution described above, the user can effectively and readily utilize necessary information for he/herself without a specific operation, since new and interesting information at all times can be received through the communication network and in turn displayed on the display unit 4. On the other hand, the user can immediately find the information at a time of returning to his/her display unit since personally necessary information is received through the communication network and in turn displayed on the display unit 4 even while the user is away from his/her desk.
In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-open Gazette 8-314402 discloses a technological art for varying motions and the like of screen saver images in response to inputted sounds in an information displaying apparatus having the screen saver function.
Besides such information displaying apparatuses, there have found a point that personnel information is unexpectedly exposed to a third party even though the user does not want them to see the information while he or she leaves his/her desk. This is because the information is in turn read out and displayed on the displaying unit 4 during the operation of screen saver function. For example, in the case where a person in charge of personnel matters in a company uses the information displaying apparatus, such personnel matters should not be exposed to a third party. However, they may unexpectedly be exposed when the person forgets to turn a switch off and runs the screen saver function while leaving his/her desk.
Such situation could occur when an information provider provides information for a user through a communication network, that is, it could occur even though the information provider provides the information only for the user but does not wish a third party to see the information. Particularly, the situation may occur in the case where the user operates to display electronic mail on the display unit 4 during the operation of a screen saver function.